Council to vote on repaving work

Sunday

TUSCALOOSA | After a year with no upgrades, the City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve $2.169 million worth of road and parking lot paving projects.

TUSCALOOSA | After a year with no upgrades, the City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve $2.169 million worth of road and parking lot paving projects.

Storm recovery after the April 27, 2011, tornado prevented the annual street repair work from taking place during the current fiscal year. But the fiscal 2013 resurfacing budget is doubling what is normally about $1 million worth of work each year, said City Traffic Engineer David Griffin.

The budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, also features work to improve parking conditions near the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.

The former site of the Tuscaloosa Farmers Market, across the street from the concert venue, as well as a dirt lot to the west of the amphitheater are set to receive a fresh coat of asphalt and be converted into new parking lots.

Even the former Barbecue Lot, located on Greensboro Avenue across from Temerson Square, will be resurfaced and striped for additional amphitheater parking, Griffin said.Funding the work could get tricky, however, as the contract amount is about $26,000 more than the $2.143 million available in the fiscal 2012 resurfacing budget.Despite this budgetary shortfall, the council's public project and finance committees were convinced last week that the funding gap would not be a problem.Griffin said the contract, expected to be awarded to local asphalt manufacturers S.T. Bunn Construction Co., is based on “estimated quantities” of materials that typically are never met.“We have historically under-run the actual quantities installed,” he said.City Finance Director Mike Wright told the committees that he expects other revenue in the coming months will cover any remaining shortfall.Aside from the parking lots, Griffin said that the streets selected for this year's work were chosen based on a grading system that considers the road's condition, the age of the roadway pavement, the amount of utility cuts, stormwater intrusion, cracking and other factors.“In short, what we do is produce a quantitative comparison of the severity of decay and prioritize on that basis,” he said.Roads or streets get added to the list by city inspections and complaints filed by residents and motorists. Any area that did not qualify for this year's work will remain on the list and be examined again next year.Here's a list of Tuscaloosa's paving and resurfacing projects slated for fiscal year 2013:Two airport runways from the taxiway to the old Dixie Air hangar and the University of Alabama hangarParking lots at the former Tuscaloosa Farmers Market and the former barbecue lotA turn lane at Fire Station No. 729th Street from Greensboro Avenue to 10th AvenueMercedes-Benz Circle off Alabama Highway 216Two alleys running between Frank Thomas Avenue and Paul W. Bryant Drive and between 13th and 14th streets to 25th AvenueA portion of Dogwood Lane near its intersection with Longview DriveA portion of Mary Ford Boulevard near its intersection with Buttermilk RoadAbrams Place from its dead end to University BoulevardVirginia Drive17th Avenue between 15th Street and an alley to the southShannon Drive from Lewis Lane to Loop RoadThe Highlands18th Avenue East from its end to Second Street EastSecond Avenue East between 37th Street East and 32nd Place East35th Court East from its dead end to 34th Street EastKicker Road between Hargrove Road and Hickory LaneSecond Avenue between University Boulevard and Bryant Drive32nd Avenue East between Hargrove Road East and Interstate 20/59Springhill Lake Drive near its intersection with 55th Street East29th Street between 10th Avenue and University LaneA portion of Dearing Downs near its intersection with 36th Avenue EastFrank Thomas Avenue between Paul W. Bryant Drive and University BoulevardAshland Drive near its intersection with Rice Valley Road NorthNorthridge High School access road between the entrance to Wellington and Yorktown DriveOak Avenue from its end to Paul W. Bryant DriveQuail Run between Reston Drive and Shallow Creek DriveThe portion of Sanders Ferry Road that falls within the Tuscaloosa city limit21st Avenue East near its intersection with 17th Street East and Temple Baptist ChurchSixth Street East from its end to 34th Avenue EastPelham Heights Road between Woodland Road and Woodland Park ChurchSecond Avenue near its intersection with 15th StreetThird Court East between its end and 21st Street EastBellingrath between Reston Drive and Shallow Creek Drive.The DownsHargrove Road between Skyland Boulevard and the bridge over Interstate 20/59Canyon Mill Road from its end to Alabama Highway 21618th Avenue and Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets east near their intersections with Kicker RoadFirst Street East between 25th Avenue East and 23rd Avenue East20th Avenue East between 14th Street East and 15th Street EastA portion near 5600 New Watermelon RoadRed Drew Avenue between Paul W. Bryant Drive and University BoulevardTuscaloosa Police Department parking lotWestern parking lot and former Barbecue Lot for the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater